Croxley Rail Link: 'hideous' design looks like 'portakabin on stilts'

The design of the Croxley Rail Link has been described as a "portakabin on stilts" by a politician who is concerned that the district is becoming a "guinea pig" for the development.

Three Rivers District councillors discussed the conditions of the rail link, which looks to connect Croxley station to Watford Junction, via two new stations and Watford High Street.

While permission for the link has already been granted by the government, the district council has been charged with the task of approving certain conditions, particularly those relating to the viaduct.

Three Rivers will be considering three of the 18 conditions, with neighbouring Watford Borough Council looking at the remaining ones.

Speaking at the sustainable environment policy and scrutiny committee on Tuesday, Conservative councillor, Paula Hiscocks, commented that it was a "hideous design".

The viaduct’s design is part of condition 12, with other conditions relating to Highways Access and landscaping.

One of the overwhelming concerns amongst residents and councillors is that of the viaduct’s design.

Residents packed into Three Rivers House last week to receive an update on the project.

Councillor Hiscocks queried how much of a say the district council had on the design if they deemed it to be unsuitable for the area.

Claire Westwood, the council’s acting area team leader for development management, said that she had spoken with the applicant following last week’s local area forum and was told that grey was their "standard" design.

Ms Westwood said: "They (the applicants) essentially say that the lead steel grey is a standard natural colour that would normally be used for this structural work and they consider it best to avoid intensive impact."

She added that it would be difficult for the council to refuse the condition of design in regards to the colour of the viaduct.

Following councillor Hiscocks’ questioning whether the developers had built a viaduct similar to this one or not, Ms Westwood said they had not.

Councillor Hiscocks exclaimed that Three Rivers were therefore being treated as "guinea pigs".

Comments made from politicians at the sustainable environment policy and scrutiny committee were then passed on to a meeting of the extraordinary executive committee, which followed directly after the first meeting.

Members of the extraordinary executive committee discharged conditions for the design of the viaduct.

Yet politicians were advised that they could not discharge condition 11, which relates to Highways Access and condition 4, which refers to landscaping as not enough information had been supplied to the local authority.

Work is due to begin on the Croxley Rail Link in September, and is scheduled to be completed in 2017.

Comments

Quite a deep bed to that design... are they running other services through there?

Quite a deep bed to that design... are they running other services through there?TRT

Quite a deep bed to that design... are they running other services through there?

Score: 1

croxley46
5:24pm Thu 13 Mar 14

Sounds a bit like the proposed Aldi (or Lidl?) development in Ricky - "we only do it in grey".
It does look cheap AND nasty - let's hope for better, we want to improve the environment in which it's situated, not worsen it.

Sounds a bit like the proposed Aldi (or Lidl?) development in Ricky - "we only do it in grey".
It does look cheap AND nasty - let's hope for better, we want to improve the environment in which it's situated, not worsen it.croxley46

Sounds a bit like the proposed Aldi (or Lidl?) development in Ricky - "we only do it in grey".
It does look cheap AND nasty - let's hope for better, we want to improve the environment in which it's situated, not worsen it.

Score: 0

Wacko Jacko
6:30pm Thu 13 Mar 14

Looks like it has been commissioned by an accountant and been designed by a quantity surveyor. It's an interesting visual with the older and much more attractive lattice truss bridge in the background, makes you wonder why the design couldn't be less solid in appearance or more slender so it doesn't act as such a block in the view.

Looks like it has been commissioned by an accountant and been designed by a quantity surveyor. It's an interesting visual with the older and much more attractive lattice truss bridge in the background, makes you wonder why the design couldn't be less solid in appearance or more slender so it doesn't act as such a block in the view.Wacko Jacko

Looks like it has been commissioned by an accountant and been designed by a quantity surveyor. It's an interesting visual with the older and much more attractive lattice truss bridge in the background, makes you wonder why the design couldn't be less solid in appearance or more slender so it doesn't act as such a block in the view.

Score: 4

andy710
7:19pm Thu 13 Mar 14

Don't worry, give it time and the boys and girls will no doubt customise it with lots of pretty graffiti...

Don't worry, give it time and the boys and girls will no doubt customise it with lots of pretty graffiti...andy710

Don't worry, give it time and the boys and girls will no doubt customise it with lots of pretty graffiti...

Score: 11

Andrew1963
12:13am Fri 14 Mar 14

Grow ivy up it or virginia creeper.

Grow ivy up it or virginia creeper.Andrew1963

Grow ivy up it or virginia creeper.

Score: 3

cgpc Rob
7:10am Fri 14 Mar 14

Spray with sour milk.

Spray with sour milk.cgpc Rob

Spray with sour milk.

Score: -3

Hampermill-Mike
8:02am Fri 14 Mar 14

Its a bl**dy bridge, what do you expect to look like !

As for the Portacabin look, it's OK for Watford's new market to have ex-containers as the backbone ( which can easily be removed when the whole thing fails and they take it all away ) but not for the bridge to be plain with no messing about grey paint ( which will blend in with the British sky so plus point there then ).

Its a bl**dy bridge, what do you expect to look like !
As for the Portacabin look, it's OK for Watford's new market to have ex-containers as the backbone ( which can easily be removed when the whole thing fails and they take it all away ) but not for the bridge to be plain with no messing about grey paint ( which will blend in with the British sky so plus point there then ).Hampermill-Mike

Its a bl**dy bridge, what do you expect to look like !

As for the Portacabin look, it's OK for Watford's new market to have ex-containers as the backbone ( which can easily be removed when the whole thing fails and they take it all away ) but not for the bridge to be plain with no messing about grey paint ( which will blend in with the British sky so plus point there then ).

Score: 7

Phil Cox - UKIP Mayoral candidate for Watford
8:41am Fri 14 Mar 14

Too brutal. Why can they not even match the quality of decades ago?

Time for a rethink

Too brutal. Why can they not even match the quality of decades ago?
Time for a rethinkPhil Cox - UKIP Mayoral candidate for Watford

Too brutal. Why can they not even match the quality of decades ago?

Time for a rethink

Score: -2

Hampermill-Mike
5:13pm Fri 14 Mar 14

Just come home from North London along the North Circular Road, Identical bridges in several places from the A40 to Brent Cross. They actually simply look like bridges. I think this is being blown out of proportion.

Just come home from North London along the North Circular Road, Identical bridges in several places from the A40 to Brent Cross. They actually simply look like bridges. I think this is being blown out of proportion.Hampermill-Mike

Just come home from North London along the North Circular Road, Identical bridges in several places from the A40 to Brent Cross. They actually simply look like bridges. I think this is being blown out of proportion.

Score: 4

Cuetip
5:19pm Fri 14 Mar 14

Phil Cox - UKIP Mayoral candidate for Watford wrote…

Too brutal. Why can they not even match the quality of decades ago?

Time for a rethink

The designer has a worm like vision from years working on the Euro tunnel with no light.

[quote][p][bold]Phil Cox - UKIP Mayoral candidate for Watford[/bold] wrote:
Too brutal. Why can they not even match the quality of decades ago?
Time for a rethink[/p][/quote]The designer has a worm like vision from years working on the Euro tunnel with no light.Cuetip

Phil Cox - UKIP Mayoral candidate for Watford wrote…

Too brutal. Why can they not even match the quality of decades ago?

Time for a rethink

The designer has a worm like vision from years working on the Euro tunnel with no light.

Score: 1

InterludeWFC
7:51pm Fri 14 Mar 14

They could design something beautiful, but then would be ridiculed for spiralling costs and wasting money on aesthetics.

You never can win.

They could design something beautiful, but then would be ridiculed for spiralling costs and wasting money on aesthetics.
You never can win.InterludeWFC

They could design something beautiful, but then would be ridiculed for spiralling costs and wasting money on aesthetics.

You never can win.

Score: 1

Nascot
8:32pm Fri 14 Mar 14

Phil Cox - UKIP Mayoral candidate for Watford wrote…

Too brutal. Why can they not even match the quality of decades ago?

Time for a rethink

An expert now in architecture! Your 'talents' know no boundaries no wonder you have been selected as 'UKIP Mayoral Candidate for Watford. Go on, get your crayons out and draw us your proposal.

[quote][p][bold]Phil Cox - UKIP Mayoral candidate for Watford[/bold] wrote:
Too brutal. Why can they not even match the quality of decades ago?
Time for a rethink[/p][/quote]An expert now in architecture! Your 'talents' know no boundaries no wonder you have been selected as 'UKIP Mayoral Candidate for Watford. Go on, get your crayons out and draw us your proposal.Nascot

Phil Cox - UKIP Mayoral candidate for Watford wrote…

Too brutal. Why can they not even match the quality of decades ago?

Time for a rethink

An expert now in architecture! Your 'talents' know no boundaries no wonder you have been selected as 'UKIP Mayoral Candidate for Watford. Go on, get your crayons out and draw us your proposal.

Score: -1

cgpc Rob
6:56am Sat 15 Mar 14

How many designs were submitted, who chose this one, its ugly but functional, as for cost, will we ever know the difference in cost, not of the whole project, but just for the bridge build, so comparisons can be made.

How many designs were submitted, who chose this one, its ugly but functional, as for cost, will we ever know the difference in cost, not of the whole project, but just for the bridge build, so comparisons can be made.cgpc Rob

How many designs were submitted, who chose this one, its ugly but functional, as for cost, will we ever know the difference in cost, not of the whole project, but just for the bridge build, so comparisons can be made.

Score: 1

martin grant
7:37am Sat 15 Mar 14

It`s up and running and no matter how late in the day everyone is crying `spilt milk`. THAT` IT!
One supern suggestion from a Lib/Dem Parish Councillor is `plant climbing rosres` up the butresess.

What a jolly idea.

Well done Wendy.

It`s up and running and no matter how late in the day everyone is crying `spilt milk`. THAT` IT!
One supern suggestion from a Lib/Dem Parish Councillor is `plant climbing rosres` up the butresess.
What a jolly idea.
Well done Wendy.martin grant

It`s up and running and no matter how late in the day everyone is crying `spilt milk`. THAT` IT!
One supern suggestion from a Lib/Dem Parish Councillor is `plant climbing rosres` up the butresess.

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